John 9

[The title , not offend anyone, is not diminutive, but rather a term of endearment e.g. cute little bugger. Here it is used as endearment, to give some kind of name/dignity to a no name marginalized person ]

I met a blind man once. Barb and I were on a Nicaraguan chicken bus. People get on and off at will. Sales persons often get on, sell ``smart'' pills or worm medicine. There are also evangelists who have a captive audience and preach fire and brimstone and the salvation message. This time a blind man gets on, and he has a gig ...a tin can filled with rocks for rhythm, and he begins to sing. It was wonderful! The whole bus was captivated! All of a sudden he stops...and listens intently, and says (``Se fue la luz!'') ``Hey, the lights went out!''

- John 9 is a story of a blind man. It is best to read this text and then sit down. To say anything just mucks it up. But...I'll stay up here for a few minutes because: 1) I can't resist the temptation to tease this text a little bit; and 2) Steve invited me to preach, and though I honestly tried to get out of it, he would not let me.
-Lots of verses in this chapter...41. Great story...wonderful dialogue and sparring between blind man, parents and Pharisees.
-But when you boil most of the water out of the soup, what you end up with are a couple of questions: 1) Who is really blind?, and/or 2) Who is really the sinner?.
-The first few verses it sounds like the blind beggar bugger may be the sinner
-The last few verses it sounds like the Pharisees may be the blind ones and the sinners.
         -I say it sounds like...because I really can't keep up with Jesus' dance with words.
                  e.g. -Read 3-5 What does that mean??!!

Let's look first at the Blind Beggar Bugger - 9:1-8
-The guy doesn't even have a name! Now in Mk 10:46 you have a blind man, but he has a name! Bartimaeus...sitting, begging along the road...hears Jesus coming, jumps up, throws his cloak aside and shouts out ``Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me''. Real type A blind man.
-But this blind beggar, just a bugger...is sort of a footnote to the disciple's theological discussion. They are trying to impress Jesus with the profundity of their question, and they ask: ``Jesus, see that blind beggar bugger over there, who sinned, he or his folks?''
         -Jesus says ``Not he, nor his parents'' - Jesus seems cuts to the chase and say there is no connection between ones situation in life and sin.
         1) Now we know there are some connections, right? Kind of you-reap-what-you-sow thing. We see it in the Bible e.g. touch the ark, die. Mock the prophet, bears come out of the woods and eat you. If you rubber neck you turn into salt. We also see some sins sneak up on us, like smoking I guess...you get cancer. John Prine sings of a guy who drinks too much, ``has a red nose, beats his old lady with a rubber hose''...we know enough about sociology to conjecture that then his kid will do the same to his new wife. I guess that is kind of a father's sins and a son's.
-Verle Dalke - Uncles in eastern Washington, dryland wheat farmers - young, strong, lean , drove combine ma chines , with 30 - 40 mule team . Ate 3 fried eggs, nest of bacon, biscuits and gravy for breakfast; sausage sandwiches for lunch; ham and mashed potatoes and gravy for supper, (with seconds) - they stayed strong & lean.
-Then one day tractors came along - sold the mules - sat on their can all day driving tractors. They plowed, harrowed, planted, combined...ate 3 fried eggs, nest of bacon, biscuits and gravy for breakfast; sausage sandwiches for lunch; ham and mashed potatoes and gravy for supper, (with seconds) ...got slow, porked out, hard time walking, died seemingly before their time. Who knows why they died really: Could have been their cholesterol shot up to 300 RPMs and arteries slammed shut; Could have been their blood sugar went ballistic because their ratio of gravy to mash potatoes was about 3:1, and their blood viscosity changed from 10 wt. to 80 wt.; Could have died from being overjoyed by not having to care for, follow nor smell mules all day. Sort of a sin, right? Don't take care of your body, live (and die) with the consequences.

But what I think Jesus is saying here is:
         2) Lot of times that is just how life is, people are born blind. It's not, if you're good all will be good. If pray, everything is hunky dory. Go to church, tithe, faithful to your wife, love your enemy, pay your labor justly, respect your elders, eat all your food, pick up your toys, etc...that nothing bad happens to you. Sometimes, more, generally it actually does rains on the just and the unjust. Hails on the just and the unjust. Fine couples squabble. Saints in the church often have children who are prodigal. Sometimes the kids are born blind...with developmental disabilities (DD). NO sin involved...just how life is!
- This echoes again scripture's truth that God's promise is not to take us out of ...but to walk with us in .... A) Hab 3:7-9; B) Romans 8:38 & 39.
-Then Jesus, as if to demonstrate, or give exclamation point to what saying...that ``Yes, he is blind, but NOT because he is a sinner''...HEALS him!! And to keep it as irreverent, mundane, worldly, lifey, earthy, matter of fact as possible...no hocus pocus, no sin of the fathers ...he spits in the dirt, makes mud, rubs it on the eyes. (Obviously NO theological principles here), and says, ``Go wash in the pool of Siloam''.
-So blind beggar bugger GOES, cane clicking a little more loudly than usual on the cobble stone. He was in a little bit of a huff and a bit more humiliated than usual...the guy had just rubbed mud on his face! Didn't care if he was a prophet, or whatever he was, it was not way to treat a blind man! But the reality was, he had mud on his face and he needed to wash it off, so he goes to the pool.
-Then we see him making his WAY BACK , slowly, all deer eyed and headlights, gawking, touching things, staring, trying to make sense of familiar sounds with what he was now seeing, cane tucked up under his arm...and humming the old Johnny Nash song ``I Can See Clearly Now, the rain is gone''. And somewhere between the Pool of Siloam and returning to Jesus, it must have hit him, that because of what just happened, there definitely was an occupational change in his future. He comes back, no more spiritual, no less spiritual, just this bona fide beggar bugger born blind...the same one...except NOW he can see!!! He is NOT blind!!!

Now enter the Pharisees (Verses 35-41) - It doesn't say it...but it is strongly implied, they are the ``SEEING ONES''. They are NOT blind. They make the rules, or at least interpret the rules. They really know God. They have a corner on truth. So, they grill the bugger. There is this wonderful verbal sparring between them and the ex blind beggar. And the bugger, kind of sticks it to them. It makes you as the reader want to stand up and cheer for the underdog!! And the Pharisees in frustration say...Vs 34 ``You were born and brought up in sin...and you are trying to teach us?!@#$#@!''...Humph...and walk off.
-Now be warned folks! This is a trap. I think we all fall into it. There is a sense in which we all think we see pretty clearly. Right? No one goes out to be fooled, to believe a lie. Oh, maybe a few people know they are on the wrong track but addicted to something and can't help themselves. But for the most part, we kind of think we know truth. Not that we don't have some doubts, but we see pretty clearly. As Anabaptists, we believe we have a corner on Biblical interpretation, right? I think so!! But really, a million plus Mennonites in the world...are we kidding ourselves? There are multi millions of Moslems, they worship the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob ...believe ...many practice compassion just like some of the Christians do. Then there are Christians on the left and the right. We pull our hair out in frustration at the thinking and actions of the other. ..wondering ``how can they even think they are on the right track?'' We say to ourselves: ``I'm so glad I don't live with a sack over my head.''
-It seems all of us think we are the ``Seeing Ones''...we all have this inclination toward Phariseeism. I think that is what Jesus is getting at here in (read 39-41).
-It seems to me that Jesus is giving a plea for a good measure of HUMILITY. Matt 5:5 ``Blessed are the humble, for they will receive what God has promised''
         The blind beggar's spirit - not arrogant, did not know much really. Just the bugger who sat with his tin cup on the corner of Market & Strait, begging.
-The Pharisees : afraid to admit that some new and un contained power is loose here, in danger of losing their grip on the movement of God, ask the ex blind man ``How did this happen?'' Ex Blind man says, I don't know exactly, but he ``put mud on my eyes, washed them, now I see!''. And the Pharisees ask the Parents -And the reply ``We don't know . What we know is that he is our son, was blind, but now he sees...as to the rest, you'll need to ask him''. Pharisees say, well ``WE KNOW this man who cured you is a sinner''. Ex Blind man says, ``I don't know if he is a sinner or not, but one thing I know, I was blind, but now I see''.
-Mr. Bugger, was just a guy , happened to be blind, and he begged. I find myself very attracted to him. It is people like him that make riding buses in Latin America such a delightful experience. World is full of these people. Live on my street, climb our ladders, work at the banks. I hope I'm one! I believe there are many in this church. Regular folks. We nick ourselves shaving, burn the toast, drip mustard on our shirts, spill our beer, yell at the dog, may or may not be regular in church, have a job or not, have health insurance or not. Have children who are Drs. or in jail, brilliant, average or disabled. These are the folks of life...who have some kind of faith in God...but don't have it all figured out! They move from question to question, not from answer to answer.
-Life is confusing, chaotic, at times inexplicably awful...Darfurs, Iraqs, Tsunamis, Lebanons, HIV/AIDS, earthquakes, floods, car wrecks, Fresno Co., thick air, cloudy water, hungry people, lonely people, drive by shootings, teenage mothers. Out of 365 days, it seems to choose to hail on the worst possible one, to the people least deserving. Disabled children born to good folks... But somehow many of these folks have learned to HUMBLY, accept God as a Mysterious companion in the chaos, rather than someone who was sleeping on the job when bad things happened to good people.
         There is a saying (Dusty Baker-SF) ``No one is right all the time, and everyone is right sometimes'' I like that. It says to me that: 1) When I LISTEN to others who I believe are wrong, I need to listen with a good measure of respect, for they just could be right, this time. Even when I have deep felt and held convictions otherwise...I should listen respectfully...for this may be the time; 2) When I SPEAK , though it be with the wisdom of Solomon, the learning of Einstein, the tongues of angels, humor of Mark Twain...need speak humbly, for I may be wrong!
         -According to vs. 41, to claim to see clearly...claim to speak for God absolutely...to claim...makes you/me the sinner. Jesus said ``when you say `We See', your sin remains''!!
-I'd like to suggest that this call to humility is actually a call to leave lots of room for MYSTERY...let God be God...the only all Seeing One. She is the Spirit of Mighty Mystery !!!
         -We cannot lock God in, pin her down, figure her out. We cannot push Mighty Mystery into a box...(that is like trying to put the Milky Way in a shopping cart). If we could put God in a box, then it is not Mighty Mystery. It may be pluots! It may be Cheerios! But it is not God.
-Ancient Orthodox writer ``God cannot be grasped by the mind. If he could be grasped, he would not be God''
-Hansen ``God gives us just enough to seek him, but not enough to find him.''
-To say ``We know...we see...this is the truth, the answer''...is dare to veer onto the domain of God, dare to step on holy ground. Its to go beyond the yellow plastic tape with black strips strung around Mt. Saini and carelessly touch the holy mountain, its to put ones hand on the ark, skip casually into the Holy of Holies. It makes God small & mundane and quantifiable...And Jesus says to that... ``you remain in your sin, you are blind'', because Mighty Mystery is uncontainable, indescribable. The word ``God'' is ambiguous in our language, because it appears to refer to something that is known. But transcendence, Mystery, is unknowable and unknown.
-The Pharisees, have this air of arrogance - they knew something of God, but nothing of Mystery. They systematized, institutionalized, categorized and memorized, then said ``this is the way it is'', put God in a box. If you ever want to get a good handle on God, then get the prepackaged one, the one in a box. That makes God small, and we can figure him out. E.g. desk in a box, ``some assembly required'', 4 boards, 10 screws, Allen wrench, its all there! Pull it out, set it up, it lacking one screw, shuffle through little plastic bags, stick your head in the box, where is the screw? Call 800#. They say, ``If it is not in the box, you don't need it! Everything you need is in the box.'' But to practice religion in the box, means to live with ones nose pressed to the walls, it blurrs the vision of the sacredness of the present, and the presence of the Sacred here and now.
-In the box, we know the edges...what we see is what we get...and that leaves a lot lacking...if this is all there is...No hope. No wonder people get disillusioned with religion. If we question anything in the box, asking ``Is this all there is?'', then guilt. We feel guilty every time our body touches the walls of the box. Even to think outside the box produces guilt. Stella says ``I was a pro at guilt. Even before I graduated from grade school, I had a PHD in guilt. You name it, I felt bad about it. And I was sure that God felt bad about me.'' But the real wrong, the ultimate tragedy would be to live small, and fit into, rather than out grow our confines.
-Religiosity, Phariseeism...staying in the box is to live ROOT BOUND. Roots grow around and around the container. I remember as an aggie at Fresno State, I bought this oak tree at the nursery, it was 4 feet tall, thin as my thumb, about 80 years old, growing in a half of a 3 pound coffee can and that was only half full of dirt (about 2 inches of dirt). I couldn't believe it. What challenges the box is when life's inconsistencies confront religions explanations, and life wins .'' It is like the starving man who hears religious speak that ``God loves him''. Hunger's demon short circuits those religious words. And it should not surprise us really when he says ``I do not really care if God loves me! We are staring!! See my children over there? They are bloated, their hair turning red and three of their sibling have died. Their mother sitting over their, jsut stares out in to the distance.'' Mahatma Gandhi was probably right when he said, ``God would not dare to appear to the staring except in the form of food.'' Life wins! Mighty Mystery moves in life...not in a box!!
-When one has the spirit of humility, this openness to the Mighty Mystery, it is like pulling the plant out of the pot and sticking it in rich soil, where lots of air, micro and macro organisms, water, nutrients, smells good... the roots can start to grow. It is life on the margins where everything gets exciting. It is thinking outside the bun. It is a place of hope, growing roots, possibility, vitality. Once out of the pot, who knows how far the roots will go?!! Who know how tall the tree will then grow?!!

It seems to me that here we have a choice: Either we can stay in the box with our god created in our image, half asleep, uptight, fearful and judgmental of all others...or... we can have the Spirit of Humility.

- The Spirit of Humility is waking up to the mystery of life's holiness, and living this life with light hearted reverence, passion and compassion.
- The Spirit of Humility is not so much trying to discover what God wants me to do with my life, but an attempt to be vulnerable to the ``inner voice'', to listen to what excites my heart.
- The Spirit of Humility is to live so my life enhances the lives of those with whom I share this planet.
-To have the Spirit of Humility is to live with reverence toward myself, others and the environment and refuse to do harm to anyone or anything.

The disciples asked Jesus, ``Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?''. The disciples asked this because they were trying hard to know and understand God. And Jesus showed them a child who in all probability neither knew, nor much cared to know, what the Kingdom of Heaven was, nor what such a question might mean. And then Jesus told the disciples to be come like that little child, neither knowing, in a sense of understanding, nor caring, in the sense of being anxious.

Thomas Merton wrote this Prayer
         ``My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I actually am doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you, does in fact, please you.''

-May God bless you, BUGGERS ALL, and make you be a blessing to each other, to this community and the world, as you follow the  Mighty Mystery with the spirit of humility .

Bob Buxman - 3/6/05 -Reedley First Mennonite